Andrea Riseborough

There are questions surrounding Andrea Riseborough's surprise best actress nomination for "To Leslie." Will there be clarity?

Sally Kirkland famously wrote letters to voters and spoke with any available journalist to promote herself in the tiny dramedy “Anna” (1987), while Melissa Leo’s infamous “CONSIDER” ads were purchased in route to her win for “The Fighter” (2010) and intended to show her glamorous side in contrast to her work in that film as a blue-collar mother, walked just up to the edge of what was permissible. Riseborough may have imperiled that and could be facing blowback for working outside the system. The “To Leslie” campaign apparently was self-funded. “There are going to be many tough conversations in the future,” one studio publicist tells Variety, who asked to remain anonymous. But the question is whether the support of Riseborough’s friends constitutes the kind of lobbying that the Academy prohibits. While not “illegal” to champion a movie or performance you love, the reference to Yeoh, Deadwyler, Blanchett and Davis is where Fisher seems to have made an error. “We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication. during the past winter months, you’d see countless billboards for awards contenders like Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” and Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” You wouldn’t have seen any for “To Leslie,” the Momentum Pictures drama that garnered Roseborough a nomination over the likes of Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”). But the personal appeals of her high-profile friends may have carried her over. If so, does that make Riseborough, who is also an executive producer for “To Leslie,” responsible? “To Leslie” was directed by Michael Morris, and his wife Mary McCormack proved to be instrumental in assembling an army of A-list endorsements Riseborough. “It is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process,” the statement reads.

Mandy in 'Mandy'. Andrea Riseborough in Mandy Image Via RLJE Films. Riseborough plays the titular character in the 2018 film Mandy ...

Her performance adds depth to the film, which is primarily a dark comedy, making it a more engaging and thought-provoking experience for the audience. Riseborough brings the camp to the movie, as she's dressed up in some loud and ghastly outfits with an obnoxious curly blonde wig that calls back to the Mrs. [Matilda: The Musical](https://collider.com/matilda-the-musical-review/). Tasya's job becomes increasingly complicated as she begins to experience the memories and emotions of the people she possesses, leading to a struggle to maintain her own identity and sense of self. [Andrea Riseborough](https://collider.com/tag/andrea-riseborough/) to get an [Oscar nomination for her performance in the indie film To Leslie](https://collider.com/oscars-nominations-2023-to-leslie-explained/). Svetlana is trying to navigate the chaos and uncertainty following her father's death. The film is a haunting and powerful portrayal of a woman who is pushed to the brink of madness and revenge after a cult leader takes her prisoner and kills her in front of her boyfriend ( [Nicolas Cage](https://collider.com/tag/nicolas-cage/)). Riseborough delivers a devastating final scene as we see her character coming to terms with her actions and the weight of her guilt. She’s torn between her loyalty to her father and her desire to break free from the oppressive regime he has created. Victoria is initially presented as supportive and loving to Jack, but her true identity and mission are revealed gradually throughout the film. Riggin is writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway show called What We Talk About When We Talk About Love and has cast Laura in the role of…Laura. [Mandy](https://collider.com/tag/mandy/).

To Leslie's campaign (backed by Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more) got Andrea Riseborough a nomination. But did it break the rules?

“The Academy requires that voting members of the Academy make their choices based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible films and achievements.” In some cases, it’s easy to draw a bright line between Riseborough and her A-List supporters—for example, she stars opposite Winslet in the upcoming limited series The Palace—but in others, it appears to be a case of aggressive networking and Rolodex-sharing. “It’s always been about word of mouth, and how you get the movie on the radar, and while this seems unconventional, it’s really not—this just happened to garner more attention because it’s high-profile people,” says an awards strategist. “Even if it’s not expressly written in the rules, it’s not really in the spirit of how this should be done,” one awards strategist tells VF. We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication. While the statement from the Academy did not specifically name To Leslie, it’s clear that this review is targeted at the campaign, which has become the talk of the town.

The actress's Academy Award nomination for her role in the film "To Leslie" came as a surprise, fueled by support from Hollywood A-listers.

[Viola Davis](https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/viola-davis-tom-cruise-oscar-nomination-snubs-2023/), Michelle Yeoh, Danielle Deadwyler and [Cate Blanchett](https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/cate-blanchett-tar-achievements-oscar-nominations-2023/) as being “a lock” for nomination. See our [latest prediction champs](https://www.goldderby.com/best-prediction-scores/awards/league-data/). [the 2023 Oscar winners through March 12](https://www.goldderby.com/leagues/) [Make your predictions](https://www.goldderby.com/leagues/) at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for [Apple/iPhone devices](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1460576753) or [Android (Google Play)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pmc.goldDerby) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. Without directly naming Riseborough, a statement from the academy released on Friday noted, “It is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process. Since Tuesday’s nominations announcement, there has been grumbling from rival Oscar campaigns that lobbying rules were violated in the drive to land Riseborough a nom for a film that grossed just $27,000 at the box office.

The Academy is reviewing this year's nominations after A-listers poured out support for the actress.

“That’s the reason why you saw all these very respected actors and actresses stick their necks out” for Riseborough, he said. TCM host and Entertainment Weekly awards correspondent Dave Karger theorized they “really wanted to trumpet the performance and realized there could be a way in for them by focusing exclusively on the actor’s branch of the Academy.” Support for Riseborough seemed to spread almost exclusively through social media or word of mouth, and Karger described the success of the low-cost campaign behind Riseborough’s nomination as “unprecedented.” And A-listers who keep emphasizing how amazing the movie is can go a long way. Great work deserves to be acknowledged, that’s all there is to it.” For the Oscars, actors nominate actors, directors nominate directors, and so on. So what makes McCormack, the actress and wife of the director, so powerful? “These smaller films don’t have the publicity budgets to get the attention they so often deserve.” Pretty much what makes anyone in Hollywood powerful, it would seem: connections forged through years of working the town. “We have confidence in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances." In a statement Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences suggested it may be investigating the campaign. “No one had asked me to post anything, but I felt people should see this brilliant performance,” she wrote.

The Academy put out a statement Friday saying it is “conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year's nominees.”

Even though we had a lot of support, the idea it might actually happen seemed so far away.” The film made a little over $27,000 during its brief theatrical release in October, making it among the lowest-grossing movies ever to score an Oscar nomination. “So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition?

Andrea Riseborough's "To Leslie" Oscar best actress nomination calls back an ad by Shohreh Aghdashloo's 2004 campaign.

The ad utilized four excerpts from print and TV news stories praising the supporting actress. 20, 2004, four days before the final Oscar voting deadline, a print ad in an issue of Daily Variety centered on Shohreh Aghdashloo’s powerful turn in “House of Sand and Fog” (2003). In 2004, the Academy was riding a new voting schedule.

The Academy has released a statement saying that there will be a review of campaign rules in the wake of Andrea Riseborough's Best Actress nomination.

The campaign itself reportedly utilized frowned-upon tactics, such as directly emailing Academy members to encourage them to lobby for To Leslie. However, Riseborough's nomination doesn't mean that there was any misconduct, as grassroots campaigns are even encouraged by the Academy if members feel very strongly about a particular performance. We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication. While the film won several film festival awards, it was not nominated for any Golden Globe or Screen Actors Guild Awards, as films nominated by the Academy often are. The Academy Awards were first held in 1929 and have gone on to become the most prestigious film awards in Hollywood. While the statement doesn't mention Riseborough or To Leslie specifically, it alludes to the backlash which was

The actor got a nod for "To Leslie" amid social media praise from peers like Edward Norton and Gwyneth Paltrow.

A since-deleted post quoted film critic Richard Roeper likening the performances of Riseborough and [Cate Blanchett](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/cate-blanchett), who is nominated for her work in “Tár.” [Michelle Yeoh](https://www.huffpost.com/voices/topic/michelle-yeoh) (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), [Ana de Armas](https://www.huffpost.com/topic/ana-de-armas) (“Blonde”) and [Michelle Williams](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/michelle-williams) (“The Fabelmans”). Ricci was the most prominent star to double down after the review was announced. “It was so hard to believe it might ever happen because we really hadn’t been in the running for anything else. Even though we had a lot of support, the idea it might actually happen seemed so far away.” [Edward Norton](https://www.huffpost.com/topic/edward-norton), [Kate Winslet](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/kate-winslet), [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/gwyneth-paltrow) and [Christina Ricci](https://www.huffpost.com/topic/christina-ricci) — had taken to social media before the voting period concluded to successfully lobby for her nomination. [Critics Choice Awards](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/critics-choice-movie-awards) win earlier this month to praise Riseborough.) [Variety noted](https://variety.com/2023/awards/awards/to-leslie-andrea-riseborough-instagram-post-1235505104/) that an [official “To Leslie” Instagram page](https://www.instagram.com/tolesliemovie/?hl=en) may have violated Academy guidelines two weeks ago. [Independent Spirit Awards](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/independent-spirit-awards) nod for “To Leslie,” a drama centered on an alcoholic single mother at the end of her rope, most Oscar analysts — and Riseborough herself — hadn’t considered her a front-runner for best actress this year. [this year’s nominees](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2023-oscar-nominations-the-complete-list_n_63caea65e4b0c2b49ad54432), to ensure that no guidelines were violated,” it continued, “and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication.” [the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.huffpost.com/topic/academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences) announced a review of its own campaign policies to determine if voting guidelines “were violated,” [per People](https://people.com/movies/academy-conducting-a-review-of-oscars-campaign-rules-after-surprise-andrea-riseborough-nomination/). [Oscar](https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/the-oscars) nomination has delighted fans — and seemingly perturbed the Academy.

THR's executive editor of awards notes that Riseborough's campaign follows in a long tradition of unabashed solicitation of votes that have often been, ...

Weissman told me years later that there was only one consequence for the brouhaha: “I was a member of the public relations [branch of the Academy’s executive committee], and when that happened, they invited me off the committee.” But the Academy did implement “the Murray rule,” as Weissman dryly called it, which forbade the use of quotes from Academy members in advertisements. So, I don’t see how the Academy can penalize a contender because he, she, or, in the case of Riseborough, a contender’s friends and supporters, have chosen to utilize these platforms to champion a film or performance, especially when there is no evidence that they disparaged anyone else in the process. 2 issue of Variety under the headline “Crashing the Party for Poor Marty” in which he asserted that Scorsese, who he called a “giant ape director” (whatever that means), “sure doesn’t deserve” to win for Gangs because the film “is a mess.” (The Academy had nothing to say at the time about one member slamming another.) According to the Academy, his conduct was not consistent with the spirit of “the Academy’s promotional regulations, which provide, among other terms, that ‘it is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner.’” But it struck many that the punishment did not fit the crime. A month later, on March 6, an op-ed appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News and the Long Beach Press-Telegram that was credited to Robert Wise, the then 88-year-old Oscar-winning director of West Side Story and The Sound of Music. Russell, meanwhile, was turned in and penalized for telephoning fellow members of the sound branch seeking their support, a clearer violation of Academy rules. For instance, in 2010, Nicolas Chartier, a producer of The Hurt Locker, emailed some friends — or people who he thought were his friends — in the Academy urging them to vote for his picture rather than “the $500 million film,” a clear reference to Avatar. Backlash to the Wills campaign contributed to a number of subsequent Oscar nominees and winners questioning the integrity of the Academy and value of the Oscars: George C. So, following Dern’s strong turn in Lynch’s weird film Inland Empire — which was distributed by some place called 518 Media that apparently had no resources of its own to mount a campaign — Lynch set out in search of some “free media.” He set up a lawn chair on the busy corner of Hollywood and La Brea and plopped himself down next to a cow and a large banner marked “For Your Consideration: Laura Dern,” and then happily chatted and posed for photos with anyone who cared to visit. At the time, most Academy members — and, indeed, most people in Hollywood — were “under contract” to a specific studio, and most studios leaned on their contracted employees — through ways subtle and unsubtle — to back specific “ponies” in each year’s Oscars derby. [Oscars](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/oscars/) hopeful has access to the kind of Rolodex that Riseborough’s champions do and suggesting that some of them were out of line in urging people to rank her #1 on their weighted ballot. The latter contingent apparently prompted the Academy to launch its “review” — but, as a longtime student and observer of the Academy, I highly doubt, based on the information currently in the public domain, that the organization will take punitive action against Riseborough or her nomination.

The Academy launched an investigation after Andrea Riseborough was nominated for Best Actress — learn more about the leading lady.

Film companies aren’t allowed to send more than one email and one physical mailing per week, and there are content guidelines to follow. However, many shared social media praise for the film with very similar wording, calling To Leslie “a small film with a giant heart,” [Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/01/andrea-riseborough-to-leslie-campaign-break-rules-awards-insider) reports, sparking questions about how genuine these endorsements were. And what’s more comfortable than posting about a movie every day!” McCormack’s email allegedly reads. “We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication.” “If you’re willing to post every day between now and Jan 17th, that would be amazing! [Kate Winslet](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/kate-winslet/) called Riseborough’s performance “the greatest female performance on screen I have ever seen in my life” during a virtual Q&A.